Glenwood Springs City Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve a $2.4 million, 10-year sole-source contract for an Axon public safety technology suite, then split 5-2 on whether to extend city water service to a proposed attainable housing development west of town — a vote that divided council along lines of municipal control versus practical benefit.
The Axon contract replaces the department’s Motorola body camera and dash camera system, phases out the existing Flock Safety license plate reader network, and bundles technology tools including AI-assisted police report writing, drone first-responder capability, holster-activated cameras, and a virtual reality training platform. Chief of Public Safety Joseph Deras said the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office already uses the system and that the 9th Judicial District’s district attorney has signed off on the AI-generated reports. A public commenter cited independent research finding the tool produced more sophisticated but less accurate police reports in complex scenarios. Deras said the department could restrict or decline use of that feature at any time, and council confirmed the city could defund individual line items through the budget process if the tools proved ineffective.
The water service agreement for a parcel at 50235 Highway 6 and 24 — known as the Amy’s Acres area — drew the longer debate. The applicant proposes 98 new units plus two existing ones on land that abuts but does not touch the city boundary, making annexation currently impossible under Colorado law. Staff called the agreement straightforward: the city has water infrastructure in place, would collect capacity fees and ongoing water revenue, and would acquire one of two on-site wells — netting approximately 21 percent more water rights than the project would consume.
City Attorney Karl Hanlon confirmed the development would remain under Garfield County’s regulatory authority regardless of the water decision. Public Works Director Matt Langhorst said a staff review of the full county application, including geotech, traffic, and debris flow studies, found the traffic impact negligible. The applicant told council the project plans 10 income-capped affordable homes — 10 percent of the total units — with the remainder offered as attainable for-sale housing priced below the current Glenwood Springs median.
Councilor David Townsley said questions about the development were cut short during the applicant’s presentation, leaving council unable to verify what it was actually getting, and argued the city should first explore annexation to bring the project under city standards. Councilor Mitchell Weimer pressed staff on the city’s total inability to influence density or land use if the county later approved a far larger project on the same site, though he ultimately voted yes. Councilor Ray Schmahl questioned whether the parcel could become eligible for annexation through adjacent right-of-way.
The five who voted yes — Mayor Marco Dehm, Mayor Pro Tem Erin Zalinski, and councilors Mitchell Weimer, Sumner Schachter, and Steve Smith — argued the project would proceed with or without city water given the applicant’s existing wells. Langhorst said the can-and-will-serve letter would be capped at 84.5 equivalent residential units, project-specific, and would expire in one year if the project failed to proceed as proposed. Townsley and Schmahl voted no.
Two residents addressed the council during public comment on the ICE detention facility at 100 Midland Ave. One, speaking for the second time in two weeks, argued the city has clear authority to pursue code enforcement against the property’s landlord regardless of the federal tenant’s identity, and called for outside counsel after City Attorney Hanlon had previously advised the Supremacy Clause prevented municipal action. A second resident thanked the city for improvements to North Landing Park, noting the space is well-used by neighbors and that recent changes to the lighting schedule were appreciated. Councilor Schachter defended Hanlon on the ICE matter, saying the attorney provides legal guidance but bears no responsibility for two decades of prior staff oversight failures.
Councilor Schachter later proposed a public statement acknowledging that the permit violation was unacceptable but that litigation against the federal government was unlikely to succeed at prohibitive cost. City Manager Steve Boyd offered to work on a press release. Councilor Smith urged the council to formally act before issuing anything public, and the council directed staff to obtain a second outside legal opinion before taking further steps.
Consent agenda items passed unanimously, including approval of the May 21 minutes and award of RFP 2026-13 for a sewer slipline project. Council also approved the Financial Advisory Board’s recommended grants totaling $293,500 from the city’s Arts and Investments and Tourism funds, reappointed Paula Gorra to the Downtown Development Authority and a River Commission member for a second term, and added Alyson Ackley as a new DDA member. Updated engineering standards were continued to June 18 after a council member noted a filing error in the uploaded packet documents. Ordinance 2026-10A amending the city’s water regulation code also passed after a numbering conflict required the designation change.
Council unanimously approved Ordinance 2026-12, repealing and replacing the city’s utility disconnect notice procedures to align the code with current Public Utilities Commission regulations. The change replaces door-hanger notices with auto-dialed phone and email alerts; a pilot run of 50 accounts reached 46 customers successfully. Langhorst said staff would bring council a list of repeat late-pay accounts and planned to propose escalating fees to discourage chronic non-payment.
The council honored Sgt. Michael Young with a retirement proclamation, recognizing 32 years of service beginning in November 1994.
In his administration report, Boyd said the city plans to hire a canine-trained officer from Silt and will purchase her certified service dog at its depreciated value of approximately $10,000, giving the department two canine units. Boyd noted the city has secured an easement for a welcome sign on the south end of town, expected within two weeks. The Habitat for Humanity project has its funding gap met, with contractors expected to finish within two months and a city parks employee set to purchase one of the units. Council confirmed a 10-year community garden lease with the Cardiff HOA as routine business, requiring no formal action.
Council announcements included the GoPro Games whitewater events relocating to Glenwood’s river this weekend due to low water in Avon, Glenwood Springs Pride Fest at Two Rivers Park on Saturday, the first Farmers Market of the season on June 23, and a $50,000 drone show funded by a state tourism grant during Strawberry Days. Mayor Dehm raised growing concern about unhoused residents and proposed a work session to develop strategy; Boyd confirmed the topic is already on the next work session agenda.
Support Independent Local Journalism — High Country Advocate was created as a real alternative to regional media that too often silences dissenting voices while taking sides in the political struggle. Producing in-depth, unflinching reporting like this series and others is expensive: servers, editing, research time, and legal review all add up quickly. If these articles have informed you or given you new perspective, please consider supporting HCA with a paid subscription — every subscriber helps keep this reporting strong and independent. 